Sugar Ray as an Amateur

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by bman100, May 14, 2012.


Page 1 of 3
  1. bman100

    bman100 Well-Known Member Full Member

    1,795
    27
    Jan 6, 2010
    [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5-GOGennVc[/ame]

    What skills do you see here that foreshadow his becoming a great fighter? Have you ever seen an amateur fighter display skills like this before?

    Those combinations he delivers are vicious!

    :scaredas:mad: That last right hand
     
    bman100, May 14, 2012
    bman100, May 14, 2012
    #1
  2. burt bienstock

    burt bienstock Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    18,285
    400
    Jan 22, 2010
    bman, I as a tyke along with my dad and uncle went to a Golden Gloves
    card in NY. In one of the Salem Crescent corners helping out was a new sensational lightweight champion of the previous year called Ray Robinson
    who was ALREADY called a COMING pro champion by the sports scribes before he even started his pro career...He was so highly regarded as a coming super-star that he already had celebrity status...I recall I and my dad and uncle waiting in a small line to just shake his hand when the final bout was over...Later on we saw Robinson as a welterweight phenom in MSG several times, and to come full circle I saw the retired Robinson
    at the Concord Hotel where we both were waiting for our car keys...I tapped
    him on the shoulder and shook his hand about 1 year after his retirement...
    Ray looked and acted like he was royalty, and in my eyes was easily the greatest fighter I ever saw ringside...
     
    burt bienstock, May 14, 2012
    burt bienstock, May 14, 2012
    #2
  3. greynotsoold

    greynotsoold Boxing Addict

    5,566
    7,176
    Aug 17, 2011
    Can somebody name ten current, world-ranked pros that are that good?
     
    greynotsoold, May 14, 2012
    greynotsoold, May 14, 2012
    #3
  4. Hands of Iron

    Hands of Iron #MSE Full Member

    14,701
    16
    Feb 23, 2012
    Honestly haven't seen enough amateur boxing to really say, although this footage is very clean and a good testament to the 85-0 (69) record he put together as an amateur. I imagine he'd do damage against several great lightweights H2H considering he went 21-0 (18 ) against them as a pro, most notably beating Sammy Angott when he was the No. 1 lightweight in the world, five months before he defeated Lew Jenkins.
     
    Hands of Iron, May 14, 2012
    Hands of Iron, May 14, 2012
    #4
  5. bman100

    bman100 Well-Known Member Full Member

    1,795
    27
    Jan 6, 2010

    awesome stories bb.

    He had something special for sure. you can see from these videos already. I think he once got in trouble because it was suspected that he was secretly a prop fighting amateurs. he was already that good. There is only 1 sugar ray...
     
    bman100, May 14, 2012
    bman100, May 14, 2012
    #5
  6. El-Mafioso

    El-Mafioso Member Full Member

    156
    0
    May 11, 2012
    Sugar Ray have talent for 2 boxers...just too great
     
    El-Mafioso, May 14, 2012
    El-Mafioso, May 14, 2012
    #6
  7. bman100

    bman100 Well-Known Member Full Member

    1,795
    27
    Jan 6, 2010

    Sugar actually lost a decision to billy graham and another fighter so he was 85-2. (sometime he fought under the name walker smith.) But its true, this is an amateur and he looks better than some pros to be sure.
     
    bman100, May 14, 2012
    bman100, May 14, 2012
    #7
  8. sugarsean

    sugarsean Boxing Addict Full Member

    4,496
    14
    Jun 2, 2009
    That was after he became the first fighter to beat Willie Pep,

    Peps fans accused him of being a pro.
     
    sugarsean, May 14, 2012
    sugarsean, May 14, 2012
    #8
  9. PowerPuncher

    PowerPuncher Loyal Member Full Member

    42,723
    269
    Jul 22, 2004
    I don't think he was massively skilled, other than as a puncher he could get position his feet and body to get maximum leverage and he did it incredibly quick due to his great athleticism. He also had immense dimensions with his range as a lightweight
     
    PowerPuncher, May 14, 2012
    PowerPuncher, May 14, 2012
    #9
  10. Hands of Iron

    Hands of Iron #MSE Full Member

    14,701
    16
    Feb 23, 2012
    ;)
     
    Hands of Iron, May 14, 2012
    Hands of Iron, May 14, 2012
    #10
  11. aj415

    aj415 Boxing Addict Full Member

    4,606
    6
    Aug 15, 2006
    Beastmode Engaged
     
    aj415, May 14, 2012
    aj415, May 14, 2012
    #11
  12. burt bienstock

    burt bienstock Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    18,285
    400
    Jan 22, 2010
    b,whatever unique talent Ray Robinson had he was in a class of his own as a Welterweight. Ray Robinson was to boxing, what Fred Astaire was in dancing and Enrico Caruso was in tenors...One of a kind...
     
    burt bienstock, May 14, 2012
    burt bienstock, May 14, 2012
    #12
  13. bman100

    bman100 Well-Known Member Full Member

    1,795
    27
    Jan 6, 2010
    Indeed. It would be interesting to see if SRR will be eclipsed...

    SS, It would be quite normal to assume Sugar was a pro the way he outboxed pep so easily i guess...Ray did say after the fight though that pep too was something special.
     
    bman100, May 14, 2012
    bman100, May 14, 2012
    #13
  14. bman100

    bman100 Well-Known Member Full Member

    1,795
    27
    Jan 6, 2010

    not that it matters anyway. two losses were nothing. his record was phenomenal with those two losses. how many others are 85-2 against the guys he went up against? he fought some tough opposition right from the beginning.
     
    bman100, May 14, 2012
    bman100, May 14, 2012
    #14
  15. Hands of Iron

    Hands of Iron #MSE Full Member

    14,701
    16
    Feb 23, 2012
    I just find it amusing how a large number of sources still state 85-0.
     
    Hands of Iron, May 14, 2012
    Hands of Iron, May 14, 2012
    #15
Page 1 of 3